DCR-PC53E/PC55E. Operating Guide. Digital Video Camera Recorder. Recording/ Playback. Getting Started. Using the Menu.

Transcription

1 (1) Digital Video Camera Recorder Getting Started 7 Operating Guide Recording/ Playback 18 Using the Menu 34 DCR-PC53E/PC55E Dubbing/Editing Using a Computer Troubleshooting Additional Information 96 Printed on 100% recycled paper using VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)-free vegetable oil based ink. Printed in Japan 2005 Sony Corporation

2 Read this first Before operating the unit, please read this manual thoroughly, and retain it for future reference. WARNING To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. Memory Stick N50 FOR CUSTOMERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM NOTICE ON THE SUPPLIED AC ADAPTOR A moulded plug complying with BS1363 is fitted to this equipment for your safety and convenience. Should the fuse in the plug supplied need to be replaced, a fuse of the same rating as the supplied one and approved by ASTA or BSI to BS1362 (i.e., marked with or mark) must be used. Notice If static electricity or electromagnetism causes data transfer to discontinue midway (fail), restart the application or disconnect and connect the communication cable (USB, etc.) again. Notes on use Your camcorder is supplied with two kinds of operations guides. Operating Guide (This manual) First Step Guide for using the supplied software (stored on the supplied CD- ROM) On the types of recording media you can use in your camcorder A mini DV cassette marked with (mini DV cassettes with Cassette Memory are incompatible) (p. 97). Memory Stick Duo marked with, (p. 98). On using the camcorder Do not hold the camcorder by the following parts. If the plug supplied with this equipment has a detachable fuse cover, be sure to attach the fuse cover after you change the fuse. Never use the plug without the fuse cover. If you should lose the fuse cover, please contact your nearest Sony service station. FOR CUSTOMERS IN EUROPE ATTENTION The electromagnetic fields at the specific frequencies may influence the picture and sound of this camcorder. LCD panel Battery cover This product has been tested and found compliant with the limits set out in the EMC Directive for using connection cables shorter than 3 meters (9.8 feet). Shoe cover 2

3 Before connecting your camcorder to another device with a USB or i.link cable, be sure to insert the connector plug in the proper direction. If you insert the connector plug forcibly in the wrong direction, the terminal may be damaged, or this may cause a malfunction of your camcorder. When disconnecting the AC Adaptor from the Handycam Station, hold both the DC plug and the Handycam Station and disconnect the AC Adaptor. Be sure to turn the power of your camcorder off before inserting it into or removing it from the Handycam Station. On the menu items, LCD panel, and lens A menu item that is grayed out is not available under the current recording or playback conditions. The LCD screen is manufactured using extremely high-precision technology, so over 99.99% of the pixels are operational for effective use. However, there may be some tiny black points and/or bright points (white, red, blue, or green in color) that appear constantly on the LCD screen. These points are normal results of the manufacturing process and do not affect the recording in any way. Exposing the LCD screen or the lens to direct sunlight for long periods of time may cause malfunctions. Do not aim at the sun. Doing so might cause your camcorder to malfunction. Take pictures of the sun only in low light conditions, such as at dusk. TV color systems differ depending on the countries/regions. To view your recordings on a TV, you need a PAL system-based TV. Television programs, films, video tapes, and other materials may be copyrighted. Unauthorized recording of such materials may be contrary to the copyright laws. On this manual The images of the LCD screen used in this manual for illustration purposes are captured using a digital still camera, and therefore may appear different. The on-screen displays in each local language are used for illustrating the operating procedures. Change the screen language before using your camcorder if necessary (p. 14). The illustrations used on this manual are based on the model DCR-PC55E. About the Carl Zeiss lens Your camcorder is equipped with a Carl Zeiss lens, which was developed jointly by Carl Zeiss, in Germany, and Sony Corporation, and produces superior images. It adopts the MTF* measurement system for video cameras and offers a quality typical of a Carl Zeiss lens. * MTF stands for Modulation Transfer Function. The number value indicates the amount of light from a subject coming into the lens. On recording Before starting to record, test the recording function to make sure the picture and sound are recorded without any problems. Compensation for the contents of recordings cannot be provided, even if recording or playback is not possible due to a malfunction of the camcorder, storage media, etc. 3

4 Table of Contents Getting Started Step 1: Checking supplied items...7 Step 2: Charging the battery pack...8 Step 3: Turning the power on and holding your camcorder firmly...12 Step 4: Adjusting the LCD panel...13 Step 5: Using the touch panel...14 Changing the language setting...14 Checking the screen indicators (Display guide)...14 Step 6: Setting the date and time...15 Step 7: Inserting a tape or a Memory Stick Duo...16 Recording/Playback 4 Recording/Playback with ease (Easy Handycam)...18 Recording...20 Playback...21 Functions used for recording/playback, etc Recording To use zoom To adjust the exposure for backlit subjects To adjust the focus for an off center subject (SPOT FOCUS) To fix the exposure for the selected subject (Flexible spot meter) To record in mirror mode To use a tripod Playback Viewing pictures with motion effects (SLIDE SHOW PLUS) To use PB zoom Recording/playback To check the remaining battery (Battery Info) To turn off the operation confirmation beep (BEEP) To use special effects To initialize the settings (RESET) Other part names and functions Indicators displayed during recording/playback...26 Searching for the starting point...29 Searching for the last scene of the most recent recording (END SEARCH)...29 Searching manually (EDIT SEARCH)...29 Reviewing the most recently recorded scenes (Rec review)...29

5 Remote Commander...30 Searching quickly for a desired scene (Zero set memory)...30 Searching for a scene by date of recording (Date search)...31 Playing the picture on a TV...32 Using the Menu Using the menu items...34 Menu items...36 CAMERA SET menu...38 Settings to adjust your camcorder to the recording conditions (EXPOSURE/ WHITE BAL./STEADYSHOT, etc.) MEMORY SET menu...42 Settings for the Memory Stick Duo (QUALITY/IMAGE SIZE/ALL ERASE/ NEW FOLDER, etc.) PICT.APPLI. menu...44 Special effects on pictures or additional functions on recording/playback (FADER/PICT. EFFECT, etc.) EDIT/PLAY menu...47 Settings for editing or playing back in various modes (VAR.SPD PB/END SEARCH, etc.) STANDARD SET menu...48 Settings while recording on a tape or other basic settings (REC MODE/ MULTI-SOUND/LCD SET/DISP OUTPUT/USB, etc.) TIME/LANGU. menu...51 (CLOCK SET/WORLD TIME/LANGUAGE) Customizing Personal Menu...52 Dubbing/Editing Connecting to a VCR or TV...54 Dubbing to another device such as a VCR, DVD recorder, etc Recording pictures from a VCR or TV (DCR-PC55E)...56 Dubbing pictures from a tape to a Memory Stick Duo...57 Dubbing sound to a recorded tape...58 Deleting recorded pictures from the Memory Stick Duo...60 Marking images on the Memory Stick Duo with specific information (Image protection/print mark)...60 Continued 5

6 Printing recorded images (PictBridge compliant printer)...61 Jacks to connect external devices...63 Using a Computer Before referring to the First Step Guide on your computer...64 Installing the software and First Step Guide on a computer...66 Viewing First Step Guide...70 Creating a DVD (Direct Access to Click to DVD )...71 Connecting an analog VCR to the computer via your camcorder (Signal convert function) (DCR-PC55E)...74 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting...76 Warning indicators and messages...92 Additional Information Using your camcorder abroad...96 Usable cassette tapes...97 About the Memory Stick...98 About the InfoLITHIUM battery pack About i.link Maintenance and precautions Specifications Index

7 Step 1: Checking supplied items Make sure that you have following items supplied with your camcorder. The number in the parentheses indicates the number of that item supplied. Memory Stick Duo 16MB (1) (p. 16, 98) (DCR-PC55E) A/V connecting cable (1) (p. 32, 54) USB cable (1) (p. 64) Memory Stick Duo adaptor (1) (p. 98) (DCR-PC55E) Wrist strap (1) To attach the Wrist strap Getting Started AC Adaptor (1) (p. 8) Mains lead (1) (p. 8) Folding the tip of the string makes it easier to run the string through the hook for the strap. Rechargeable battery pack NP-FA50 (1) (p. 8, 100) CD-ROM Picture Package Ver.1.5 (1) (p. 66) 21-pin adaptor (1) For the models with the bottom surfaces only. mark printed on their Operating Guide (This manual) (1) Handycam Station (1) (p. 8) Wireless Remote Commander (1) (p. 30) A button-type lithium battery is already installed. 7

8 Step 2: Charging the battery pack You can charge the InfoLITHIUM battery pack (A series) (p. 100) after attaching it to your camcorder. 3 Close the battery cover. Only the InfoLITHIUM battery pack (NP- FA50) can be used. POWER switch Be sure to close the cover completely. DC IN jack 4 Slide the POWER switch up to OFF (CHG). (The default setting.) Handycam Station DC plug Mains lead To the wall socket AC Adaptor 1 Slide the battery cover in the direction of the arrow to open it. 5 Connect the AC Adaptor to the DC IN jack on the Handycam Station. With the mark facing up DC IN jack 2 Insert the battery pack, aligning the top of the mark on the side with the top of the mark on your camcorder until it clicks. 6 Connect the mains lead to the AC Adaptor and the wall socket. 8

9 7 Install the camcorder onto the Handycam Station. Open the interface connector cover. Place the camcorder on the Handycam Station properly aligned as shown in the illustration and gently push down at the point indicated by the arrow to fully install. To charge the battery pack using only the AC Adaptor Turn off the power, then connect the AC Adaptor to the DC IN jack on your camcorder. You can operate your camcorder connected to a power source such as a wall socket as shown in the illustration. The battery pack will not lose its charge in this case. DC IN jack DC plug Getting Started CHG (charge) lamp POWER Switch Mains lead To the wall socket AC Adaptor The CHG (charge) lamp lights up and charging starts.the CHG (charge) lamp turns off when the battery is fully charged. Continued 9

10 Step 2: Charging the battery pack (continued) To remove your camcorder from the Handycam Station Turn the power of your camcorder off and then press the RELEASE button and remove the camcorder from the Handycam Station. Charging time Approximate time (min.) required when you fully charge a fully discharged battery pack. Battery pack Charging time NP-FA50 (supplied) 125 Recording time Approximate time (min.) available when you use a fully charged battery pack. RELEASE button Close the interface connector cover. Battery pack NP-FA50 (supplied) Continuous recording time* Typical recording time* * Top: When the LCD backlight turns on. Bottom: When the LCD backlight turns off. Typical recording time shows the time when you repeat recording start/stop, turning the power on/off and zooming. To remove the battery pack Turn off the power. Open the battery cover and slide the battery out with your finger at the point indicated by the circle in the illustration. Playing time Approximate time (min.) available when you use a fully charged battery pack. Battery pack NP-FA50 (supplied) LCD panel opened* 105 * When the LCD backlight turns on. When storing the battery pack Fully discharge the battery before storing it for an extended period (p. 100). On the battery pack Before changing the battery pack, slide the POWER switch up to OFF (CHG). The CHG (charge) lamp flashes during charging, or the battery information (p. 24) will not be correctly displayed under the following conditions. The battery pack is not attached correctly. The battery pack is damaged. The battery pack is fully discharged. (For Battery Info only.) 10

11 The power will not be supplied from the battery as long as the AC Adaptor is connected to the DC IN jack of your camcorder or the Handycam Station, even when the mains lead is disconnected from the wall socket. On the charging/recording/playback time Times measured with the camcorder at 25 C (77 F). (10 to 30 C (50 F to 86 F) is recommended.) The recording and playback time will be shorter when you use your camcorder in low temperatures. The recording and playback time will be shorter depending on the conditions under which you use your camcorder. Getting Started On the AC Adaptor Use the nearby wall socket when using the AC Adaptor. Disconnect the AC Adaptor from the wall socket immediately if any malfunction occurs while using your camcorder. Do not use the AC Adaptor placed in a narrow space, such as between a wall and furniture. Do not short-circuit the DC plug of the AC Adaptor or battery terminal with any metallic objects. This may cause a malfunction. PRECAUTION Even if your camcorder is turned off, AC power (mains) is still supplied to it while connected to the wall socket via the AC Adaptor. 11

12 Step 3: Turning the power on and holding your camcorder firmly To record or play back, slide the POWER switch repeatedly to turn on the respective lamp. When using it for the first time, the [CLOCK SET] screen appears (p. 15). 2 Hold the camcorder correctly. POWER switch 1 Slide the POWER switch repeatedly in the direction of the arrow to turn on the respective lamp. The lens cover opens automatically when the POWER switch is set to CAMERA-TAPE or CAMERA-MEM. If the POWER switch is set to OFF, slide it down while pressing the green button. To turn off the power Slide the POWER switch up to OFF (CHG) while pressing the green button. At the time of purchase, the power will be set to turn off automatically if you leave your camcorder without any operation attempted for approximately 5 minutes, to save battery power. ([A.SHUT OFF], p. 51). Lamps that light up CAMERA-TAPE: To record on a tape. CAMERA-MEM: To record on a Memory Stick Duo. PLAY/EDIT: To play or edit pictures. When you slide the POWER switch from OFF (CHG) to CAMERA-TAPE or CAMERA- MEM, the current date and time will be displayed on the LCD screen for about 5 seconds. 12

13 Step 4: Adjusting the LCD panel The LCD panel Open the LCD panel 90 degrees to the camcorder ( ), then rotate it to the best angle to record or play ( ). 180 degrees (max.) 2 90 degrees (max.) Getting Started DISP/BATT INFO 1 90 Degrees to the camcorder Do not press the buttons on the LCD frame accidentally when you open or adjust the LCD panel. If you rotate the LCD panel 180 degrees to the lens side, you can close the LCD panel with the LCD screen facing out. This is convenient during playback operations. To darken the LCD screen Press and hold DISP/BATT INFO for a few seconds until appears. This setting is practical when you use your camcorder in bright conditions or where you want to save battery power. The recorded picture will not be affected by the setting. To turn on the LCD backlight, press and hold DISP/BATT INFO for a few seconds until disappears. See [LCD BRIGHT] (p. 48) to adjust the brightness of the LCD screen. 13

14 Step 5: Using the touch panel You can play back recorded pictures (p. 21), or change the settings (p. 34) using the touch panel. Place your hand on the rear side of the LCD panel to support it. Then, touch the buttons displayed on the screen. Touch the button on the LCD screen. 1 Touch. Touch [MENU] during Easy Handycam operation (p. 18). 1/3 60min MENU TELE MACRO SPOT FOCUS DISP GUIDE EXPO- SURE FADER 0:00:00 2 Touch [DISP GUIDE]. The indicators vary depending on the settings. DISP/BATT INFO Perform the same actions as explained above when you press the buttons on the LCD frame. Be careful not to press buttons on the LCD frame accidentally while using the touch panel. To hide the screen indicators Press DISP/BATT INFO to toggle the screen indicators (such as time code, etc.) on or off. Changing the language setting You can change the on-screen displays to show messages in a specified language. Select the screen language in [LANGUAGE] on the (TIME/ LANGU.) menu (p. 34, 51). Checking the screen indicators (Display guide) DISP GUIDE Select area for guide. 3 Touch the area including the indicator that you want to check. The meanings of the indicators in the area are listed on the screen. If you cannot find the indicator you want to check, touch / to toggle. When you touch, the screen returns to the area selecting display. DISP GUIDE 1/2 4 Touch [END]. FOCUS: MANUAL PROGRAM AE: SPOTLIGHT STEADY SHOT: OFF END END You can easily check the meaning of each indicator that appears on the LCD screen. 14

15 Step 6: Setting the date and time Set the date and time when using this camcorder for the first time. If you do not set the date and time, the [CLOCK SET] screen appears every time you turn on your camcorder or change the POWER switch position. If you do not use your camcorder for about 2 months, the built-in rechargeable battery gets discharged and the date and time settings may be cleared from the memory. In that case, charge the rechargeable battery and then set the date and time again (p. 105). 3 Select [CLOCK SET] with /, then touch. CLOCK SET : : DATE 2005 Y 1M 1D 0: 00 OK 4 Set [Y] (year) with /, then touch. Getting Started You can set any year up to the year CLOCK SET : : DATE 2005Y 1 M 1D 0: 00 OK POWER switch Skip to step 4 when you set the clock for the first time. 1 Touch [MENU]. 5 Set [M] (month), [D] (day), hour and minute, then touch. The clock starts. 60min : : CAMERA SET PROGRAM AE SPOT METER EXPOSURE OK 2 Select (TIME/LANGU.) menu with /, then touch. 60min : : DISPLAY MENU ROTATE A. SHUT OFF CLOCK SET WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAM AE : : OK 15

16 Step 7: Inserting a tape or a Memory Stick Duo Cassette tape You can use mini DV cassettes only (p. 97). The recordable time varies depending on [REC MODE] (p. 48). 1 Slide and hold the OPEN/ EJECT lever in the direction of the arrow and open the lid. OPEN/EJECT lever 3 Close the lid. To eject the cassette Proceed with the same steps as you would when inserting a cassette tape. Memory Stick Duo You can use only a Memory Stick Duo marked with or (p. 98). The number and time of recordable pictures varies depending on the image quality or the image size. For details, see page 42. Lid The cassette compartment automatically comes out and opens up. Insert the Memory Stick Duo into the Memory Stick Duo slot in the right direction until it clicks. Access lamp 2 Insert a cassette with its window facing up, then press. Window With the mark facing up 16 Push the center of the back of the cassette lightly. The cassette compartment automatically slides back in. Do not force the cassette into the compartment. This may cause a malfunction. If you force the Memory Stick Duo into the slot in the wrong direction, the Memory Stick Duo, the Memory Stick Duo slot, or image data may be damaged.

17 To eject a Memory Stick Duo Lightly push the Memory Stick Duo in once. When the access lamp is lit or flashing, your camcorder is reading/writing data. Do not shake or knock your camcorder, turn the power off, eject the Memory Stick Duo, or remove the battery pack. Otherwise, image data may be damaged. Getting Started 17

18 Recording/Playback with ease (Easy Handycam) With this Easy Handycam operation, most of the camera settings are automatically adjusted optimally, which frees you from detailed adjustment. Since only basic functions become available and screen font size increases for easy viewing, even first time users can enjoy easy operation. Go through the procedures described in steps 1 to 7 (p. 7 to 16) before operation. D B E C A Recording with ease 1 Slide the POWER switch in the direction of the arrow repeatedly to turn on the respective lamp to select a recording medium. Recording movies CAMERA-TAPE lamp. Recording still images CAMERA-MEM lamp. : Light up the : Light up the If the POWER switch is set to OFF, slide it down while pressing the green button. 2 Press EASY. The EASY lamp lights up in blue. Easy Handycam operation ON 3 Start recording. Movies Press REC START/STOP (or ). Still images Press PHOTO. A 18 The indicator ( ) changes [STBY] to [REC]. To stop recording, press (or ) again. MENU Flashing Lights up Press and hold Press fully to record. lightly to adjust the focus. MENU

19 Playing back with ease 1 Slide the POWER switch in the direction of the arrow repeatedly to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 2 Press EASY. The EASY lamp lights up in blue. Easy Handycam operation ON 3 Start playing back. Movies Touch, then touch to start playback. Slow playback is available on the Remote Commander. Stop A B C MENU Play/Pause toggles as you touch it Rewind/Fast forward Still images Touch / to select a picture. A B Tape playback Previous/Next Delete (p. 60) MENU C Recording/Playback To cancel Easy Handycam operation Press EASY again. The EASY lamp turns off and all the settings are returned to the previous situation. The recording mode for tape and the image quality for Memory Stick Duo return to the default settings. What you can do during Easy Handycam operation Adjust some menu settings (p. 36) If you touch [MENU], adjustable items will be displayed. Items not displayed return to the default settings. Zoom (during recording) (p. 22) Turn the screen indicators on/off (p. 14) Playing the picture on a TV (p. 32) Dubbing to another device such as a VCR, DVD recorder, etc. (p. 55) [Invalid during Easy Handycam operation] appears if operations not available during Easy Handycam are attempted. 19

20 Recording Lens cover Opens in accordance with the setting of the POWER switch. PHOTO REC START/STOP REC START/ STOP POWER switch 1 Slide the POWER switch in the direction of the arrow repeatedly to turn on the respective lamp to select a recording medium. On a tape, light up the CAMERA-TAPE lamp. On a Memory Stick Duo, light up the CAMERA-MEM lamp. If the POWER switch is set to OFF, slide it down while pressing the green button. 2 Start recording. Movies Press REC START/STOP (or ). A Still images Press and hold PHOTO lightly to adjust the focus ( ), then press it fully ( ). The indicator ( ) changes [STBY] (tape only) to [REC]. The sound of a movie (MPEG MOVIE EX) recorded on a Memory Stick Duo will be monaural. To stop movie recording Press REC START/STOP again. You can record a still image on a Memory Stick Duo while recording movies on a tape or in standby mode. A B Flashing Lights up A shutter sound is heard. When disappears, the image has been recorded. To check the latest recording on a Memory Stick Duo Touch. To delete the picture, touch [YES]. Touch to return to the standby mode. 20

21 Playback 1 Slide the POWER switch in the direction of the arrow repeatedly to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 2 Start playing back. Movies On a Tape: Touch, then touch to start playback. A B Stop Play/Pause toggles as you touch it Rewind/Fast forward Playback automatically stops if pause is engaged for more than 3 minutes. On a Memory Stick Duo : Touch / to select a picture with, then touch. C Still images Touch. The most recently recorded image is displayed. A B C Tape playback Previous/Next Index screen display You can delete unnecessary pictures in a Memory Stick Duo (p. 60). Recording/Playback To adjust the volume Touch [VOLUME], then / to adjust the volume. If you cannot find [VOLUME] in, touch [MENU]. To search for a scene during playback Touch and hold / during playback (Picture Search), or / while fast forwarding or rewinding the tape (Skip Scan). You can play back in various modes ([VAR. SPD PB], p. 47). To display pictures on a Memory Stick Duo on the Index screen Touch. Touch the picture you want to display in the single display mode. To view pictures in other folders, touch [PB FOLDER], select a folder with /, then touch (p. 44). A Previous/Next 6 pictures The picture displayed before switching to the index screen. Movie icon B C 21

22 Functions used for recording/playback, etc To adjust the focus for an off center subject (SPOT FOCUS)... See [SPOT FOCUS] on page 40. To fix the exposure for the selected subject (Flexible spot meter)... See [SPOT METER] on page 39. To record in mirror mode... Open the LCD panel 90 degrees to the camcorder ( ), then rotate it 270 degrees to the lens side ( ). Recording To use zoom... Move the power zoom lever slightly for a slower zoom. Move it further for a faster zoom. Wider range of view: (Wide angle) Close view: (Telephoto) The minimum distance required between your camcorder and the subject to get a sharp focus is about 1 cm (about 13/32 in.) for wide angle and about 80 cm (about 2 5/8 feet) for telephoto. You can set [DIGITAL ZOOM] if you want to zoom to a level greater than 10 times (p. 41). To adjust the exposure for backlit subjects... To adjust the exposure for backlit subjects, press BACK LIGHT to display. To cancel the back light function, press BACK LIGHT again. A mirror-image of the subject appears on the LCD screen, but the picture will be normal when recorded. To use a tripod... Attach the tripod (optional: the length of the screw must be less than 5.5 mm (7/32 in.)) to the tripod receptacle using a tripod screw. Playback Viewing pictures with motion effects (SLIDE SHOW PLUS)... Set the POWER switch to PLAY/EDIT, then press the SLIDE SHOW PLUS button. [Starting SLIDE SHOW PLUS] appears and the playback of pictures in the Memory Stick Duo starts automatically. To cancel SLIDE SHOW PLUS, press the SLIDE SHOW PLUS button again. Close the LCD panel with the LCD screen facing out (p. 13). 22

23 You can enjoy SLIDE SHOW PLUS with the camcorder mounted on the Handycam Station or not (p. 8). You can adjust the following settings by touching while executing SLIDE SHOW PLUS. (* default setting) Touch [OK] [END] when you finish the setting. PB FOLDER When set to [ALL FILES] ( )*, all files in a Memory Stick Duo are played back. When set to [CURRENT FOLDER] ( ), all files in the folder selected in [PB FOLDER] (p. 44) are played back. REPEAT When set to [ON] ( PLUS repeats. )*, SLIDE SHOW CLOCK DISP When set to [ON]*, the clock appears. MODE SELECT SIMPLE* For showing pictures with up-and-down/ side-to-side motion, zoom or overlap effects. MONOTONE Pictures appear in black and white with side-to-side motion or overlap effects. If is not displayed, touch the LCD screen to show it. When using SLIDE SHOW PLUS for an extended period of time, connect your camcorder to a wall socket using the supplied AC Adaptor. To protect the LCD screen, we recommend: Using multiple files for SLIDE SHOW PLUS. Setting [REPEAT] to [ON]. Setting the POWER switch to OFF (CHG) when not viewing SLIDE SHOW PLUS. You can select the first picture for the SLIDE SHOW PLUS by touching / before starting SLIDE SHOW PLUS. To use PB zoom... You can magnify pictures from about 1.1 to 5 times the original size. Magnification can be adjusted with the power zoom lever. Play back the picture you want to magnify. Magnify the picture with T (Telephoto). Touch the screen at the point you want to magnify within the displayed frame. Adjust the magnification with W (Wide angle)/t (Telephoto). To cancel, touch [END]. Recording/Playback FANCY Pictures appear with decorative flower images and zoom or wipe effects. STANDARD Shows pictures without effects. The file information disappears when the DISP/ BATT INFO button is pressed. The clock does not appear if [CLOCK SET] (p. 15) has not been set. Continued 23

24 Functions used for recording/playback, etc. (continued) To use special effects... See (PICT.APPLI.) menu (p. 44) q; qa Recording/playback 9 qs To check the remaining battery (Battery Info)... Set the POWER switch up to OFF (CHG), then press DISP/BATT INFO. The battery information appears for about 7 seconds. With the information on the screen, press the button several times to view it for about 20 seconds (max.). To initialize the settings (RESET)... Press RESET to initialize all the settings, including the setting of the date and time. (Menu items customized on Personal Menu are not initialized.) Other part names and functions Speaker Sounds come out from the speaker. For how to adjust the volume, see page 21. REC lamp The REC lamp lights up in red during recording (p. 50). Remote sensor Point the Remote Commander (p. 30) towards the remote sensor to operate your camcorder. Internal stereo microphone When an external microphone is connected, the audio input from the external microphone takes precedence over others. Remaining battery (approx.) BATTERY INFO BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL 0% 50% 100% RECTIME AVAILABLE LCD SCREEN: 85 min Recording capacity (approx.) 24 To turn off the operation confirmation beep (BEEP)... See [BEEP] (p. 50) to set the operation beep.

25 Recording/Playback 25

26 Indicators displayed during recording/playback Recording movies Recording still images On a tape min 101 FINE 30 P-MENU 6 7 qa 7 Remaining battery (approx.) Recording mode ( or ) (48) Recording status ([STBY] (standby) or [REC] (recording)) Time code (hour: minute: second: frame)/tape counter (hour: minute: second) Recording capacity of the tape (approx.) (50) END SEARCH/EDIT SEARCH/Rec review display switch button (29) Personal Menu button (34) On a Memory Stick Duo Recording folder (44) Quality ([FINE] or [STD]) (42) Memory Stick Duo indicator and the number of images that can be recorded (approx.) Review button (20) Data code during playback The date/time data and the camera setting data will be recorded automatically. They do not appear on the screen during recording, but you can check them as [DATA CODE] during playback (p. 49). A B C D E Recording folder (44) Recording capacity (approx.) Movie size (43) Recording start indicator (appears for about 5 seconds) Review button (20) 26

27 ( ) is a reference page. The indicators during recording will not be recorded. Viewing movies On a tape 1 2 qs 4 5 Viewing still images 1 qf qg qh wswd MEMORY PLAY qj qk qd 7 ql w; wa 7 Tape transport indicator Video operation buttons (21) When there is a Memory Stick Duo inserted in the camcorder, (STOP) changes to ( Memory Stick Duo playback) if a tape is not used for playback. On a Memory Stick Duo A B C 0:00:00 Data file name Play/Pause button (21) Previous/Next image button (21) Image size (43) Playing time Previous/Next scene button A movie file will be divided into a maximum of 60 scenes. The number of scenes divided depends on the length of the movie. After selecting a scene from which to start the playback, touch to play back. D E F Data file name Picture number/total number of recorded pictures in the current playback folder Playback folder (44) Previous/Next folder icon The following indicators appear when the first or last picture of the current folder is displayed and when there are multiple folders on the same Memory Stick Duo. : Touch to move to the previous folder. : Touch to move to the next folder. : Touch / to move to either the previous or the next folder. Image delete button (60) Tape playback select button (21) Previous/Next image button (21) Index screen display button (21) Image protection mark (60) Print mark (61) Recording/Playback Continued 27

28 Indicators displayed during recording/playback (continued) Indicators when you made changes You can check the [DISP GUIDE] (p. 14) to check the function of each indicator that appears on the LCD screen. Upper left Upper right Center Indicator Meaning Color Slow Shutter (41) PictBridge connecting (61) Warning (92) Bottom Upper left Indicator Upper right Indicator Meaning Center EXT SUR MIC (48) AUDIO MODE (48) Self-timer recording (41) Interval photo recording (46) This indicator appears when you use video flash light (optional). (41) Meaning A/V DV OUT (49) DV input (56) Zero set memory (30) SLIDE SHOW PLUS (22) LCD backlight off (13) Bottom Indicator Meaning Picture effect (46) Digital effect (45) Manual focus (40) PROGRAM AE (38) Backlight (22) White balance (39) WIDE SELECT (42) SteadyShot off (42) Tele macro (40) 28

29 Searching for the starting point Make sure that the CAMERA-TAPE lamp lights up. 60min STBY 0:00:00 Searching for the last scene of the most recent recording (END SEARCH) EDIT [END SEARCH] will not work once you eject the cassette after you have recorded on the tape. Touch. 2 Touch and hold (to go backward)/ (to go forward) and release it at the point where you want the recording to start. 60min END SEARCH EXECUTING 1 CANCEL 0:00:00 Touch here to cancel the operation. The last scene of the most recent recording is played back for about 5 seconds, and the camcorder enters the standby mode at the point where the last recording has finished. [END SEARCH] will not work correctly when there is a blank section between recorded sections on the tape. You can also select [END SEARCH] from the menu. When the PLAY/EDIT lamp lights up, select the [END SEARCH] shortcut in Personal Menu (p. 34). Reviewing the most recently recorded scenes (Rec review) You can view about 2 seconds of the scene recorded just before you stopped the tape. Touch. 60min STBY EDIT 0:00:00 Recording/Playback Searching manually (EDIT SEARCH) You can search for the start point to start the next recording while viewing the pictures on the screen. The sound is not played back during the search. The last 2 seconds (approx.) of the most recently recorded scene are played back. Then, your camcorder is set to the standby. 1 Touch. 29

30 Remote Commander Remove the insulation sheet before using the Remote Commander. Insulation sheet Aim the Remote Commander towards the remote sensor to operate your camcorder (p. 24). To change the battery, see page 105. Searching quickly for a desired scene (Zero set memory) 1 q; During playback, press ZERO SET MEMORY at a point you want to locate later on. The tape counter is reset to 0:00:00 and appears on the screen. 4 60min 0:00: P-MENU 30 PHOTO (p. 20) The on-screen image when you press this button will be recorded as a still image. SEARCH M. (p. 31)* * Video control buttons (Rewind, Playback, Fast-forward, Pause, Stop, Slow) (p. 21) ZERO SET MEMORY* Transmitter REC START/STOP (p. 20) Power zoom (p. 22) DISPLAY (p. 14) Memory control buttons (Index*, /+, Memory playback) (p. 21) * These buttons do not work during Easy Handycam operation. If the tape counter is not displayed, press DISPLAY. 2 Press STOP when you want to stop playback. 3 Press REW. The tape stops automatically when the tape counter reaches 0:00:00. 4 Press PLAY. Playback starts from the point designated 0:00:00 on the tape counter. There may be a discrepancy of several seconds between the time code and the tape counter. Zero set memory will not function correctly if there is a blank section between recorded sections on the tape.

31 To cancel the operation Press ZERO SET MEMORY again. Searching for a scene by date of recording (Date search) You can locate the point where the recording date changes. 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 2 Press SEARCH M.. 3 Press (previous)/ (next) to select a recording date. 60min 0:00:00:00 30min Recording/Playback DATE -01 SEACH P-MENU To cancel the operation Press STOP. The Date search will not function correctly when there is a blank section between recorded sections on the tape. 31

32 Playing the picture on a TV Connect your camcorder to the wall socket using the supplied AC Adaptor for this operation (p. 8). Refer also to the instruction manuals supplied with the devices to be connected. A/V or A/V OUT jack 1 (Yellow) (White) (Red) IN VCRs or TVs 2 : Signal flow A/V connecting cable (supplied) Connect the input jack of the other device to the A/V (DCR-PC55E) or A/V OUT (DCR-PC53E) jack on your camcorder or the Handycam Station. A/V connecting cable with S VIDEO (optional) When connecting to another device via the S VIDEO jack, by using the A/V connecting cable with an S VIDEO cable (optional), pictures can be reproduced more faithfully than with the supplied A/V cable connection. Connect the white and red plugs (left/right audio) and S VIDEO plug (S VIDEO channel) of an A/V connecting cable (optional). In this case, the yellow (standard video) plug connection is not necessary. S VIDEO connection only will not output audio. When your TV is monaural (When your TV has only one audio input jack) Connect the yellow plug of the A/V connecting cable to the video input jack and connect the white (left channel) or the red (right channel) plug to the audio input jack of your TV or VCR. When connecting the A/V connecting cable to the A/V jack (DCR-PC55E)/A/V OUT jack (DCR-PC53E) on your camcorder, remove your camcorder from the Handycam Station. You can display the time code on the TV screen by setting [DISP OUTPUT] to [V-OUT/ PANEL] (p. 50). 32 When your TV is connected to a VCR Connect your camcorder to the LINE IN input on the VCR. Set the input selector on the VCR to LINE.

33 If your TV/VCR has a 21-pin adaptor (EUROCONNECTOR) Use the 21-pin adaptor supplied with your camcorder (For models with the mark printed on their bottom surfaces only). This adaptor is designed for output use only. TV/VCR Recording/Playback 33

34 Using the menu items Follow the instructions below to use each of the menu items listed after this page. 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the respective lamp. [CAMERA-TAPE] lamp: settings on a tape [CAMERA-MEM] lamp: settings on a Memory Stick Duo [PLAY/EDIT] lamp: settings for viewing/editing 2 Touch the LCD screen to select the menu item. Unavailable items will be grayed out. To use the short-cuts of Personal Menu On Personal Menu, short-cuts for frequently used menu items are added. You can customize Personal Menu as you like (p. 52). Touch. 1/3 60min MENU END SEARCH VAR. SPD PB DISP GUIDE VOLUME REC CTRL 0:00:00:00 Touch the desired item. If the desired item is not displayed on the screen, touch / until the item is displayed. Select the desired setting, then touch. To use menu items You can customize menu items that are not added to Personal Menu. BURN DVD BURN VCD END SEARCH 34 Touch [MENU]. The menu index screen appears. Select the desired menu. Touch / to select the item, then touch. (The process in step is the same as that in step.) Select the desired item. You can also touch the item directly to select it. Customize the item.

35 After finishing the settings, touch (close) to hide the menu screen. If you decide not to change the setting, touch to return to the previous screen. Using the Menu 35

36 Menu items CAMERA SET menu (p. 38) Position of lamp: TAPE MEM PLAY/EDIT PROGRAM AE SPOT METER EXPOSURE WHITE BAL. AUTO SHUTTER SPOT FOCUS FOCUS TELE MACRO FLASH SET COLOR SLOW S SELF-TIMER * DIGITAL ZOOM WIDE SELECT STEADYSHOT MEMORY SET menu (p. 42) STILL SET MOVIE SET ALL ERASE* FORMAT FILE NO. NEW FOLDER REC FOLDER PB FOLDER PICT.APPLI. menu (p. 44) FADER D. EFFECT PICT. EFFECT INT.REC-STL DEMO MODE PRINT 36

37 Available menu items ( ) vary depending on the position of the lamp. *These functions are available during Easy Handycam operation. Position of lamp: TAPE MEM PLAY/EDIT EDIT/PLAY menu (p. 47) VAR. SPD PB REC CTRL AUD DUB CTRL REC MOVIE BURN DVD BURN VCD END SEARCH STANDARD SET menu (p. 48) REC MODE AUDIO MODE VOLUME* MULTI-SOUND AUDIO MIX EXT SUR MIC LCD SET A/V DV OUT (DCR-PC55E) VIDEO INPUT (DCR-PC55E) USB-CAMERA USB-PLY/EDT DISP GUIDE* DATA CODE* REMAINING REMOTE CTRL REC LAMP BEEP* DISP OUTPUT MENU ROTATE A.SHUT OFF CALIBRATION Using the Menu TIME/LANGU. menu (p. 51) CLOCK SET* WORLD TIME LANGUAGE 37

38 CAMERA SET menu Settings to adjust your camcorder to the recording conditions (EXPOSURE/WHITE BAL./STEADYSHOT, etc.) The default settings are marked with. The indicators in parentheses appear when the items are selected. See page 34 for details on selecting menu items. PROGRAM AE You can record pictures effectively in various situations with the PROGRAM AE function. AUTO Select to automatically record pictures effectively without the [PROGRAM AE] function. SPOTLIGHT*( ) BEACH&SKI*( ) Select to prevent people's faces from appearing dark in strong light or reflected light, such as at a beach in midsummer or on a ski slope. SUNSET&MOON**( ) Select to maintain the atmosphere of situations such as sunsets, general night views or fireworks. LANDSCAPE**( ) Select to prevent people's faces from appearing excessively white when subjects are lit by strong light. PORTRAIT (Soft portrait) ( ) Select to bring out the subject such as people or flowers while creating a soft background. SPORTS* (Sports lesson) ( ) Select to shoot distant subjects clearly. This setting also prevents your camcorder from focusing on glass or metal mesh in windows that comes in between the camcorder and the subject. Items with one asterisk (*) can be adjusted to focus on subjects only a short distance away. Items with two asterisks (**) can be adjusted to focus on subjects farther away. Select to minimize shake when shooting fast moving subjects. 38

39 SPOT METER (Flexible spot meter) You can adjust and fix the exposure to the subject, so that it is recorded in suitable brightness even when there is strong contrast between the subject and the background, such as subjects in the spotlight on stage. 1 2 Touch the point where you want to fix and adjust the exposure on the screen. appears. Touch [END]. To return the setting to automatic exposure, touch [AUTO] [END]. If you set [SPOT METER], [EXPOSURE] is automatically set to [MANUAL]. EXPOSURE You can fix the brightness of a picture manually. When recording indoors on a clear day, for instance, you can avoid backlight shadows on people next to the window by fixing the exposure to that of the wall side of the room Touch [MANUAL]. Adjust the exposure by touching /. Touch. appears. To return the setting to automatic exposure, touch [AUTO]. WHITE BAL. (White balance) You can adjust the color balance to the brightness of the recording environment. AUTO The white balance is adjusted automatically. OUTDOOR ( ) The white balance is set to be appropriate for shooting outdoors or under daylight fluorescent light. INDOOR ( ) The white balance is set to the brightness of warm white fluorescent lamps. ONE PUSH ( ) The white balance will be adjusted according to the ambient light. Touch [ONE PUSH]. Frame a white object such as a piece of paper, to fill the screen under the same lighting conditions as you will shoot the subject. Touch [ ]. flashes quickly. When the white balance has been adjusted and stored in the memory, the indicator stops flashing. Do not shake your camcorder while is flashing quickly. flashes slowly if white balance could not be set. If keeps flashing even after you have touched, set [WHITE BAL.] to [AUTO]. When you have changed the battery pack while [AUTO] is selected, or you bring your camcorder outdoors from inside the house while using fixed exposure, select [AUTO] and aim your camcorder at a nearby white object for about 10 seconds for better color balance adjustment. Redo the [ONE PUSH] procedure if you change the [PROGRAM AE] settings, or bring your camcorder outdoors from inside the house, or vice versa. Set [WHITE BAL.] to [AUTO] or [ONE PUSH] under white or cool white fluorescent lamps. Continued Using the Menu 39

40 CAMERA SET menu (continued) 40 The setting returns to [AUTO] when you have the power source disconnected from your camcorder for more than 5 minutes. AUTO SHUTTER Automatically activates the electronic shutter to adjust the shutter speed when recording in bright conditions if you set it to [ON] (the default setting). SPOT FOCUS You can select and adjust the focal point to aim it at a subject not located in the center of the screen. 1 Touch the subject on the screen. appears. Touch [END]. 2 To adjust the focus automatically, touch [AUTO] [END]. If you set [SPOT FOCUS], [FOCUS] is automatically set to [MANUAL]. FOCUS You can adjust the focus manually. Select this when you want to focus on a certain subject intentionally. Touch [MANUAL]. appears. Touch (focusing on close subjects)/ (focusing on distant subjects) to sharpen the focus. appears when the focus cannot be adjusted any closer, and appears when the focus cannot be adjusted farther away. Touch. To adjust the focus automatically, touch [AUTO] in step. It is easier to focus on the subject by moving the power zoom lever towards T (telephoto) to adjust the focus, then towards W (wide angle) to adjust the zoom for recording. When you want to record a subject at close range, move the power zoom lever to W (wide angle), then adjust the focus. The minimum distance required between your camcorder and the subject to get a sharp focus is about 1 cm (about 13/32 in.) for wide angle and about 80 cm (about 2 5/8 feet) for telephoto. TELE MACRO This is useful to shoot small subjects, such as flowers or insects. As you can take closeups from a distance, your shadow does not disturb the picture and the subject stands out clearer. When you set [TELE MACRO] to [ON] ( ), the zoom (p. 22) moves to the top of the T (Telephoto) side automatically and allows for recording subjects at a close distance, down to about 27 cm (10 3/4 in.). To cancel, touch [OFF], or zoom to wideangle (W side). When recording a distant subject, it may be difficult to focus on and take time for focusing. Adjust the focus manually ([FOCUS], p. 40) when it is hard to focus automatically.

41 FLASH SET Note that these settings will not function with external flashes (optional) that do not support the following settings. FLASH MODE ON Flashes every time. ON Flashes to reduce the red-eye phenomenon. AUTO Flashes automatically. AUTO Flashes automatically to reduce the redeye phenomenon. If the flash is not capable of preventing the redeye phenomenon, you can select only [ON] or [AUTO]. FLASH LEVEL HIGH( ) Makes the flash level higher. NORMAL( ) LOW( ) Makes the flash level lower. The shutter speed of your camcorder changes depending on the brightness. The motion of the picture may slow down at this time. SELF-TIMER The self-timer starts recording after about 10 seconds. Touch [SELF-TIMER] [ON]. appears. Press REC START/STOP to record movies, or PHOTO to record still images. To cancel the count down, touch [RESET]. To cancel the self-timer, select [OFF] in step. You can also use the self-timer with the Remote Commander (p. 30). DIGITAL ZOOM You can select the maximum zoom level in case you want to zoom to a level greater than 10 (the default setting) while recording on a tape. Note that the image quality decreases when you are using the digital zoom. Using the Menu The setting returns to [NORMAL] when you disconnect the power source from your camcorder for more than 5 minutes. COLOR SLOW S (Color Slow Shutter) When you set [COLOR SLOW S] to [ON], you can record an image brighter in color even in dark places. and [COLOR SLOW SHUTTER] appear on the screen. To cancel [COLOR SLOW S], touch [OFF]. Adjust the focus manually ([FOCUS], p. 40) when it is hard to focus automatically. The right side of the bar shows the digital zooming factor. The zooming zone appears when you select the zooming level. OFF Up to 10 zoom is performed optically. 20 Up to 10 zoom is performed optically, and after that, up to 20 zoom is performed digitally. Continued 41

42 CAMERA SET menu (continued) 120 Up to 10 zoom is performed optically, and after that, up to 120 zoom is performed digitally. WIDE SELECT You can record a picture in a ratio suitable for the screen on which it will be displayed. 4:3 Standard setting (to record pictures to be played back on a 4:3 TV). 16:9 WIDE ( ) Records pictures to be played back on a 16:9 wide TV in full screen mode. When viewed on the LCD screen with [16:9 WIDE ( )] selected. When viewed on a 16:9 wide screen TV* When viewed on a standard TV** * Picture appears in full screen mode when the wide-screen TV switches to full mode. **Played in 4:3 mode. When you play a picture in the wide mode, it appears as you have seen on the LCD screen. STEADYSHOT You can compensate for camera shake (the default setting is [ON]). Set [STEADYSHOT] to [OFF] ( ) when using a tripod (optional). MEMORY SET menu Settings for the Memory Stick Duo (QUALITY/IMAGE SIZE/ALL ERASE/NEW FOLDER, etc.) The default settings are marked with. The indicators in parentheses appear when the items are selected. See page 34 for details on selecting menu items. STILL SET QUALITY FINE ( ) Records still images at the fine image quality level. STANDARD ( ) Records still images at the standard image quality level. Capacity of the Memory Stick Duo (MB) and the number of recordable pictures * 8MB MB (supplied with DCR-PC55E) MB MB MB MB MB GB * Top: [FINE] is selected for image quality. Bottom: [STANDARD] is selected for image quality. 42

43 When using the Memory Stick Duo made by Sony Corporation. The number of recordable pictures varies depending on the recording environment. The image size of a picture is as follows. When [FINE] is selected, the image size is approx. 150kB. When [STANDARD] is selected, the image size is approx. 60kB. MOVIE SET IMAGE SIZE ( ) Records movies in high resolution ( ) Allows for more movie recording time. Capacity of the Memory Stick Duo (MB) and the recordable time (hour: minute: second) Select [ALL FILES] or [CURRENT FOLDER]. [ALL FILES]: Deletes all the images on the Memory Stick Duo. [CURRENT FOLDER]: Deletes all the images in the selected folder. Touch [YES] twice. Cancel image protection on the Memory Stick Duo beforehand when using the Memory Stick Duo with the write-protect tab (p. 98). The folder will not be deleted even when you delete all the pictures in the folder. Do not do any of the following while [ Erasing all data...] is displayed: Operate the POWER switch/operation buttons. Eject the Memory Stick Duo. FORMAT A new Memory Stick Duo is formatted at the factory and does not require formatting. Touch [YES] twice. Formatting is completed, and all the images will be deleted. Using the Menu 8MB 00:01:20 00:05:20 16MB (supplied with DCR- 00:02:40 00:10:40 PC55E) 32MB 00:05:20 00:21:20 64MB 00:10:40 00:42:40 128MB 00:21:20 01:25:20 256MB 00:42:40 02:50:40 512MB 01:25:20 05:41:20 1GB 02:50:40 11:22:40 When using the Memory Stick Duo made by Sony Corporation. The recordable time varies depending on the recording environment. ALL ERASE Deletes all the pictures on a Memory Stick Duo without image protection, or in the selected folder. Do not do any of the following while [ Formatting ] is displayed: Operate the POWER switch/operation buttons. Eject the Memory Stick Duo. Formatting erases everything on the Memory Stick Duo including protected image data and newly created folders. FILE NO. SERIES Assigns file numbers in sequence even if the Memory Stick Duo is replaced with another one. The file number is reset when a new folder is created or the recording folder is replaced with another. RESET Resets the file number to 0001 each time the Memory Stick Duo is changed. Continued 43

44 MEMORY SET menu (continued) NEW FOLDER You can create a new folder (102MSDCF to 999MSDCF) on a Memory Stick Duo. When a folder is full (a maximum of 9999 images are stored) a new folder is automatically created. Touch [YES]. You cannot delete the created folders using your camcorder. You will have to format the Memory Stick Duo (p. 43), or delete them using your computer. The number of recordable pictures on a Memory Stick Duo may decrease as the number of folders increases. REC FOLDER (Recording folder) Select the folder to be used for recording with /, then touch. As the default setting, pictures are saved in the 101MSDCF folder. Once you record a picture in a folder, the same folder will be set as the default folder for playback. PB FOLDER (Playback folder) Select the playback folder with /, then touch. PICT.APPLI. menu Special effects on pictures or additional functions on recording/playback (FADER/ PICT. EFFECT, etc.) The default settings are marked with. The indicators in parentheses appear when the items are selected. See page 34 for details on selecting menu items. FADER You can add the following effects to currently recording pictures. Select the desired effect, then touch. When you select [OVERLAP], [WIPE] or [DOT FADER], the image on a tape is stored as a still image. (While storing the image, the screen turns to blue.) Press REC START/STOP. The fader indicator stops flashing and disappears when the fade is complete. To cancel the operation, touch [OFF] in step. STBY Fading out WHITE FADER REC Fading in BLACK FADER MOSAIC FADER 44 MONOTONE When fading in, the picture gradually changes from black-and-white to color. When fading out, it gradually changes from color to black-and-white.

45 OVERLAP (fade in only) WIPE (fade in only) DOT FADER (fade in only) * Available during recording only. Touch. appears. To cancel [D. EFFECT], touch [OFF] in step. STILL Records a movie while superimposing it on a previously recorded still image. D. EFFECT (Digital effect) You can add digital effects to your recordings. Touch the desired effect. Adjust the effect with /, then touch. When you select [STILL] or [LUMI. KEY], the image when you touch is saved as a still image. Effect STILL FLASH LUMI. KEY TRAIL SLOW SHUTTR* OLD MOVIE* Items to adjust The degree of transparency of the still image you want to superimpose on a movie. The interval of frameby-frame playback. The color scheme of the area in the still image which is to be swapped with a movie. The fade time of the incidental image. Shutter speed (1 is 1/25, 2 is 1/12, 3 is 1/6, 4 is 1/3). No adjustment necessary. FLASH (flash motion) Records a movie with a serial-still-image effect (strobe effect). LUMI. KEY (luminance key) Replaces a brighter area in a previously recorded still image (e.g. background of a person) with a movie. TRAIL Records a picture so that an incidental image like a trail is left. SLOW SHUTTR (slow shutter) The shutter speed is slowed down. Suitable for shooting a subject more clearly in a dark place. Adjust the focus manually using a tripod since adjusting the focus automatically is hard when [SLOW SHUTTR] is selected. ([FOCUS], p. 40) OLD MOVIE Adds an old movie effect with a sepia hue to pictures. You cannot record pictures edited using special effects on the tape in your camcorder. You cannot add effects to externally input pictures. Also, you cannot output playback pictures edited with digital effects via the DV Interface. You can save pictures edited using special effects on a Memory Stick Duo (p. 57) or record them on another tape/dvd (p. 55). Continued Using the Menu 45

46 PICT.APPLI. menu (continued) PICT. EFFECT (Picture effect) You can add special effects to a picture during recording or playback. appears. OFF Does not use [PICT. EFFECT] setting. NEG.ART record them on another tape/dvd (p. 55). INT.REC-STL (Interval photo recording) You can record still images on the Memory Stick Duo at a selected interval. This function is useful to observe the movement of clouds or the changes in daylight, etc. The color and brightness are reversed. 46 SEPIA Pictures appear in sepia. B&W Pictures appear in black and white. SOLARIZE Pictures appear as an illustration with strong contrast. PASTEL* Pictures appear as a pale pastel drawing. MOSAIC* Pictures appear mosaic-patterned. * Not available during playback. You cannot add effects to externally input pictures. Also, you cannot output playback pictures edited with picture effects via the DV Interface. You can save pictures edited using special effects on a Memory Stick Duo (p. 57) or [a]: Recording [b]: Interval Touch a desired interval time (1, 5 or 10 minutes) [ON]. Press PHOTO fully. stops flashing and the interval still image recording starts. To cancel [INT.REC-STL], select [OFF] in step. DEMO MODE The default setting is [ON], allowing you to view the demonstration in about 10 minutes, after you have removed both a cassette and a Memory Stick Duo from your camcorder, and slide the POWER switch down to turn on the CAMERA- TAPE lamp. The demonstration will be suspended in situations such as those described below. When you touch the screen during the demonstration. (The demonstration starts again in about 10 minutes.) When a cassette or a Memory Stick Duo is inserted. When the POWER switch is set to other than CAMERA-TAPE. PRINT See page 61.

47 EDIT/PLAY menu Settings for editing or playing back in various modes (VAR.SPD PB/END SEARCH, etc.) The default settings are marked with. The indicators in parentheses appear when the items are selected. See page 34 for details on selecting menu items. VAR.SPD PB (Various speed playback) You can play back in various modes while viewing movies. Touch the following buttons during playback. To change the playback direction* Touch (frame) play back slowly** To reverse direction : (frame) play back 2 times faster (double speed) play back frame by frame (double speed) To reverse direction: (frame) (double speed) (frame) during playback pause. To reverse direction: (frame) during frame playback. * Horizontal lines may appear at the top, bottom, or in the center of the screen. This is not a malfunction. **Pictures output from the DV Interface cannot be played back smoothly in slow mode. Touch. To return to the normal playback mode, touch (Play/Pause) twice (once from frame playback). You will not hear the recorded sound. You may see mosaic-like images of the previously played picture. REC CTRL (Movie recording control) See page 56. AUD DUB CTRL (Audio dubbing) See page 59. REC MOVIE (Recording control) See page 57. BURN DVD When your camcorder is connected to a Sony VAIO series personal computer, you can easily burn the picture recorded on the tape on a DVD (Direct Access to Click to DVD ) using this command. See Creating a DVD (Direct Access to Click to DVD ) (p. 71) for details. BURN VCD When your camcorder is connected to a personal computer, you can easily burn the picture recorded on the tape on a CD-R (Direct Access to Video CD Burn) using this command. See First Step Guide in the supplied CD-ROM for details. END SEARCH EXEC The most recently recorded picture is played back for about 5 seconds and then stops automatically. CANCEL Stops [END SEARCH]. Using the Menu 47

48 48 STANDARD SET menu Settings while recording on a tape or other basic settings (REC MODE/MULTI-SOUND/ LCD SET/DISP OUTPUT/USB, etc.) The default settings are marked with. The indicators in parentheses appear when the items are selected. See page 34 for details on selecting menu items. REC MODE (Recording mode) SP ( ) Records in the SP (Standard Play) mode on a cassette. LP ( ) Increases the recording time to 1.5 times the SP mode (Long Play). If you record in the LP mode, a mosaic-like noise may appear or sound may be interrupted when you play back the tape on other camcorders or VCRs. When you mix recordings in the SP mode and in the LP mode on one tape, the playback picture may be distorted or the time code may not be written properly between the scenes. AUDIO MODE 12BIT Records in the 12-bit mode (2 stereo sounds). 16BIT ( ) Records in the 16-bit mode (1 stereo sound with high quality). VOLUME See page 21. MULTI-SOUND You can select whether to play back audio recorded using other devices with dual sound or stereo sound. STEREO Plays back with main and sub sound (or stereo sound). 1 Plays back with main sound or the left channel sound. 2 Plays back with sub sound or the right channel sound. You can play back, but cannot record a dual sound track cassette on your camcorder. The setting returns to [STEREO] when you have the power source disconnected from your camcorder for more than 5 minutes. AUDIO MIX See page 59. EXT SUR MIC (External surround microphone) WIDE STEREO ( ) Records 2 channel sound with more presence by connecting a microphone (optional). STEREO Records the stereo sound normally. You need a compatible accessory such as the ECM-HQP1 microphone (optional) to record the sound in the [WIDE STEREO] setting. Sound is recorded in the [STEREO] setting if the microphone is not connected, even if another setting is selected. LCD SET The recorded picture will not be affected by this operation. LCD BRIGHT You can adjust the brightness of the LCD screen. Adjust the brightness with /. Touch.

49 LCD BL LEVEL You can adjust the brightness of the LCD screen s backlight. NORMAL Standard brightness. BRIGHT Brightens the LCD screen. When you connect your camcorder to outside power sources, [BRIGHT] is automatically selected for the setting. When you select [BRIGHT], battery life is reduced by about 10 percent during recording. LCD COLOR You can adjust the color on the LCD screen with /. Low intensity High intensity WIDE DISPLAY You can select how a 16:9 aspect ratio picture appears in the LCD screen. LETTER BOX Normal setting (standard type of display) SQUEZE (Squeeze) Expands the picture vertically when black bands appear at the top and bottom of the screen in 16:9 aspect ratio. A/V DV OUT (DCR-PC55E) When you set [A/V DV OUT] ( ) to [ON], you can convert the signal to the appropriate one by connecting a digital device and an analog device to your camcorder. See page 74 for details. VIDEO INPUT (DCR-PC55E) Selects the video plug to connect when you input the picture from the other device via A/V connecting cable. VIDEO Connects via video plug of the A/V connecting cable (supplied). S VIDEO Connects via S VIDEO plug of the A/V connecting cable with S VIDEO cable (optional). USB-CAMERA You can view the pictures displayed on the screen of your camcorder on your computer (USB Streaming) via the USB cable. See First Step Guide stored on the supplied CD-ROM (p. 64). USB-PLY/EDT (USB-Play/Edit) Select this when you view pictures stored in your camcorder on your computer (p. 64), or when you connect your camcorder to a PictBridge compliant printer via a USB cable (supplied) (p. 61). STD-USB Displays pictures saved on the Memory Stick Duo. PictBridge See page 61. USB STREAM Displays pictures saved on the tape. DISP GUIDE See page 14. Using the Menu DATA CODE Displays information recorded automatically (data code) during recording. Continued 49

50 STANDARD SET menu (continued) 50 OFF Data code is not displayed. DATE/TIME Displays the date and time. CAMERA DATA (below) Displays camera setting data. This cannot be selected during Easy Handycam operation. 60min 6 5 0:00:00:00 AUTO 100 AWB F1. 8 9dB SteadyShot off* Exposure* White balance* Gain* Shutter speed Aperture value * Appears only during tape playback. Camera setting data does not appear when movies on a Memory Stick Duo are played back. The exposure adjustment value (0EV), a shutter speed, and the aperture value appear when still images on a Memory Stick Duo are played back. appears for a picture recorded using a flash (optional). In the DATE/TIME data display, the date and time are displayed in the same area. If you record a picture without setting the clock, [ ] and [--:--:--] will appear. REMAINING AUTO Displays the remaining tape indicator for about 8 seconds in situations such as those described below. When you set the POWER switch to PLAY/ EDIT or CAMERA-TAPE with a cassette inserted. When you touch (Play/Pause). ON Always displays the remaining tape indicator. REMOTE CTRL (Remote control) The default setting is [ON], allowing you to use the Remote Commander (p. 30). Set to [OFF] to prevent your camcorder from responding to a command sent by another VCR remote control unit. The setting returns to [ON] when you have the power source disconnected from your camcorder for more than 5 minutes. REC LAMP (Recording lamp) The camera recording lamp will not light up during recording when you set this to [OFF]. (The default setting is [ON].) BEEP ON A melody sounds when you start/stop recording, or operate the touch panel. OFF Cancels the melody. DISP OUTPUT LCD PANEL Shows displays such as the time code on the LCD screen. V-OUT/PANEL Shows displays such as the time code on the TV screen and LCD screen.

51 TIME/LANGU. menu (CLOCK SET/WORLD TIME/LANGUAGE) MENU ROTATE NORMAL Scrolls the menu items downwards by touching. OPPOSITE Scrolls the menu items upwards by touching. A.SHUT OFF (Auto shut off) 5 min The camcorder is automatically turned off when you do not operate your camcorder for more than approximately 5 minutes. NEVER The camcorder is not automatically turned off. When you connect your camcorder to a wall socket, [A.SHUT OFF] is automatically set to [NEVER]. CALIBRATION See page 104. See page 34 for details on selecting menu items. CLOCK SET See page 15. WORLD TIME When using your camcorder abroad, you can set the time difference by touching /, the clock will be adjusted in accordance with the time difference. If you set the time difference to 0, the clock returns to the originally set time. LANGUAGE You can select the language to be used on the LCD screen. You can select from English, Simplified English, Traditional-Chinese, Simplified- Chinese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Italian, Greek, Russian, Arabic, Persian, or Thai. Your camcorder offers [ENG[SIMP]] (simplified English) for when you cannot find your native tongue among the options. Using the Menu 51

52 Customizing Personal Menu You can add desired menu items to Personal Menu, and customize Personal Menu settings for each POWER switch position. This is convenient if you add frequently used menu items to Personal Menu. Adding a menu item You can add up to 28 menu items for each POWER switch position. Delete a less important menu item, if you want to add more. 1 Touch [P-MENU SET UP] [ADD]. If the desired menu item is not displayed, touch /. 60min STBY Select the category. CAMERA SET PICT. APPLI. EDIT/PLAY STANDARD SET TIME/LANGU. 0:00:00 END OK Deleting a menu item 1 Touch [P-MENU SET UP] [DELETE]. If the desired menu item is not displayed, touch /. 60min STBY Select button to delete. 1/3 MENU TELE MACRO SPOT FOCUS DISP GUIDE EXPO- SURE FADER 0:00:00 2 Touch the menu item that you want to delete. 60min DELETE Delete this from CAMERA-TAPE mode's P-MENU? YES STBY NO END 0:00:00 2 Touch / to select a menu category, then touch. 60min Select the item. STBY PROGRAM AE SPOT METER EXPOSURE WHITE BAL. AUTO SHUTTER 0:00:00 END OK 3 Touch [YES]. You cannot delete [MENU] and [P-MENU SET UP]. Arranging the order of menu items displayed on Personal Menu 3 Touch / to select a menu item, then touch [YES]. The menu item is added to the end of list. 1 Touch [P-MENU SET UP] [SORT]. If the desired menu item is not displayed, touch / Touch the menu item you want to move.

53 3 Touch / to move the menu item to the desired place. 4 Touch. To sort more items, repeat steps 2 to 4. 5 Touch [END]. You cannot move [P-MENU SET UP]. Initializing the Personal Menu settings (Reset) Touch [P-MENU SET UP] [RESET] [YES] [YES]. If the desired menu item is not displayed, touch /. Using the Menu 53

54 Connecting to a VCR or TV Connect your camcorder to the wall socket using the supplied AC Adaptor for this operation (p. 8). Refer also to the instruction manuals supplied with the devices to be connected. A/V or A/V OUT* jack 1 AUDIO/VIDEO jacks (Yellow) (White) (Red) VCRs or TVs To S VIDEO jack 2 To i.link (IEEE1394) jack 3 i.link compliant device DV or DV OUT* Interface : Signal flow 54 * For DCR-PC53E The jack works as an output only. A/V connecting cable (supplied) Connect the A/V connecting cable to your camcorder or the Handycam Station. For DCR-PC55E: The A/V jack works as an input as well as an output, switching automatically depending on the operational status. A/V connecting cable with S VIDEO (optional) When connecting to another device via the S VIDEO jack, by using the A/V connecting cable with an S VIDEO cable (optional), pictures can be reproduced more faithfully than with the supplied A/V cable connection. Connect the white and red plugs (left/right audio) and S VIDEO plug (S VIDEO channel) of an A/V connecting cable (optional). In this case, the yellow (standard video) plug connection is not necessary. S VIDEO connection only will not output audio. i.link cable (optional) Use an i.link cable (optional) to connect your camcorder to another device. The video and audio signals are transmitted digitally, producing high quality pictures. Note that you cannot output the picture and sound separately. Connect the A/V connecting cable to the output jack of a device you are dubbing a picture from (for DCR-PC55E), or to the input jack of another device for dubbing a picture from your camcorder. When you are connecting your camcorder to a monaural device, connect the yellow plug of the A/V connecting cable to the video jack, and the red (right channel) or the white (left channel) plug to the audio jack on the VCR or the TV. When you connect a device via an A/V connecting cable (supplied), set [DISP OUTPUT] to [LCD PANEL] (the default setting) (p. 50) to prevent the screen display dubbed with pictures.

55 When connecting the A/V connecting cable to the A/V jack (DCR-PC55E)/A/V OUT jack (DCR-PC53E) on your camcorder, remove your camcorder from the Handycam Station. Dubbing to another device such as a VCR, DVD recorder, etc. You can copy the picture played back on your camcorder to other recording devices (such as VCRs or DVD recorders). 1 Connect your VCR/DVD recorder to your camcorder as a recording device. See page 54 for connection details. 2 Prepare your VCR/DVD recorder for recording. When dubbing to the VCR, insert a cassette for recording. When dubbing to the DVD recorder, insert a DVD for recording. If your recording device has an input selector, set it to the appropriate input (such as video 1, video 2, etc.). 3 Prepare your camcorder for playback. Dubbing/Editing Insert the recorded cassette. 4 Start the playback on your camcorder, and record it on the VCR/DVD recorder. Refer to the operating instructions supplied with your recording device for details. 5 When the dubbing is finished, stop your camcorder and the VCR/DVD recorder. Continued 55

56 Dubbing to another device such as a VCR, DVD recorder, etc. (continued) The following cannot be output via the DV interface: Indicators [PICT. EFFECT] (p. 46), [D. EFFECT] (p. 45) or PB zoom (p. 23). Titles that are recorded on other camcorder. To record the date/time and camera settings data when connected by the A/V connecting cable (supplied), display them on the screen (p. 49). When connected using an i.link cable (optional), data code (date/time/camera settings data) may not be displayed or recorded depending on the device or application. When connected using an i.link cable (optional), the recorded picture becomes rough when a picture is paused on your camcorder while recording to a VCR. Recording pictures from a VCR or TV (DCR-PC55E) You can record pictures or TV programs from a VCR or TV on a tape or a Memory Stick Duo. You can also record a scene as a still image on a Memory Stick Duo. Be sure to insert a cassette or a Memory Stick Duo for recording in your camcorder beforehand. Your camcorder can only record from a PAL source. For example, French video or TV programs (SECAM) cannot be recorded correctly. See page 96 for detail on TV color systems. If you use a 21-pin adaptor to input PAL source, you need a dual direction 21-pin adaptor (optional). A TV without an output jack does not allow recording. Recording movies 1 Connect your TV or VCR to your camcorder. See page 54 for details of connecting. When using the A/V connecting cable (supplied), connect it to the output jack of the other device. The indicator appears when you connect your camcorder and other devices via an i.link cable. (This indicator may also appear on your TV.) 2 If you are recording from a VCR, insert a cassette. 3 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 4 Operate your camcorder to record movies. 56 When recording on a tape, touch [ REC CTRL] [REC PAUSE].

57 When recording on a Memory Stick Duo, touch [MENU] (EDIT/PLAY) [ REC MOVIE]. 5 Start playing the cassette on your VCR, or select a TV program. The picture played on the connected device appears on the LCD screen of your camcorder. Dubbing pictures from a tape to a Memory Stick Duo You can record movies or still images on a Memory Stick Duo. Make sure you have a recorded tape and a Memory Stick Duo inserted into your camcorder. 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 6 Touch [REC START] at the point you want to start recording. 7 Stop recording. When recording on a tape, touch (STOP) or [REC PAUSE]. When recording on a Memory Stick Duo, touch [REC STOP]. 8 Touch. Recording still images 2 Search and record the scene you want to record. When you dub pictures as a still image Touch (PLAY) to play back the tape, then press PHOTO lightly at the scene you want to record. Check the image and press it fully. When you dub pictures as a movie Touch [MENU] (EDIT/PLAY) [ REC MOVIE] (PLAY) to play back the tape, then touch [REC START] at the point you want to start recording. At the point you want to stop recording, touch [REC STOP] (STOP). Dubbing/Editing 1 Perform steps 1 to 3 in Recording movies. 2 Play the video, or receive the TV program you want to record. The pictures on the VCR or TV appear on the screen of your camcorder. The data code recorded on the tape cannot be recorded on the Memory Stick Duo. The time and date the picture is recorded on the Memory Stick Duo will be recorded. The sound is recorded in 32kHz monaural. For the recording time of movies, see page Press PHOTO lightly at the scene you want to record. Check the image and press it fully. 57

58 Dubbing sound to a recorded tape You can add sound to a tape already recorded in the 12-bit mode (p. 48) without erasing the original sound. Connecting Active Interface Shoe A/V connecting cable (supplied) (White) Internal microphone A/V jack Do not connect the Video plug (Yellow). AUDIO OUT (Red) L R LINE OUT : Signal flow You can record audio by connecting in one of the following ways. An external microphone (optional) to the Active Interface Shoe. For DCR-PC55E: An audio device to the Handycam Station or your camcorder using the A/V connecting cable. Using the internal microphone (no connection required). The audio input to be recorded takes precedence over others in the order of. You cannot record additional audio: When the tape has been recorded in the 16-bit mode (p. 48). Audio device (such as CD/MD) players When the tape has been recorded in the LP mode. When your camcorder is connected via an i.link cable. On blank sections of the tape. When the tape has been recorded in 4CH MIC REC mode on another device. When the tape has been recorded in a TV color system other than that of your camcorder. When the write-protect tab of the cassette is set to SAVE. For DCR-PC55E: When you are using the A/V jack or the internal microphone, the picture will not be output from the A/V jack. Check the picture on the LCD screen. 58

59 When you attach an external microphone (optional) to the Active Interface Shoe, you can check the picture and the sound by connecting your camcorder to a TV using the A/V connecting cable. However, sound you are recording is not output from your camcorder. Check the sound using a TV or other device. When connecting the A/V connecting cable to the A/V jack (DCR-PC55E)/A/V OUT jack (DCR-PC53E) on your camcorder, remove your camcorder from the Handycam Station. 5 Touch (stop) when you want to stop recording. To dub on other scenes, repeat step 2 to select scenes, then touch [AUDIO DUB]. 6 Touch. Recording sound Insert a recorded cassette into your camcorder beforehand. 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 2 Touch (Play/Pause) to play back the tape, then touch it again at the point where you want to start recording the sound. 3 Touch [MENU] (EDIT/PLAY) [AUD DUB CTRL] [AUDIO DUB]. To set the end point for audio dubbing, beforehand, press ZERO SET MEMORY on the Remote Commander at the scene at which you want to stop audio dubbing during playback. After step 2 to 4, the recording stops automatically at the selected scene. You can only record additional audio over a tape recorded on your camcorder. The sound may deteriorate when you dub audio on a tape recorded on other camcorders (including other DCR-PC53E/PC55E camcorders). To check the recorded sound Play back the tape on which you have recorded audio (p. 21). Touch [MENU] (STANDARD SET) [AUDIO MIX]. 60min AUDIO MIX 0:00:00:00 Dubbing/Editing appears ST1 ST2 60min AUD DUB CTRL 0:00:00:00 AUDIO DUB 4 Touch (play) and start playing back the audio you want to record at the same time. appears while recording the new sound in stereo 2 (ST2) during the playback of the tape. Touch / to adjust the balance of the original sound (ST1) and the sound recorded afterwards (ST2), then touch. The original sound (ST1) is output at the default setting. The adjusted audio balance returns to the default setting in about 5 minutes after the battery pack or other power sources have been disconnected. 59

60 Deleting recorded pictures from the Memory Stick Duo 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 2 Touch. Marking images on the Memory Stick Duo with specific information (Image protection/print mark) When you are using a Memory Stick Duo with the write-protect tab, make sure the write-protect tab on the Memory Stick Duo is not set to the write-protect position (p. 98). 60min / MEMORY PLAY P-MENU Preventing accidental erasure (Image protection) You can select and mark images to prevent accidental erasure. 3 Select a picture you want to delete with /. To delete all pictures at once, select [ALL ERASE] (p. 43). 4 Touch [YES]. The pictures cannot be restored once they are deleted. You can delete pictures on the index screen (p. 21). You can easily search for the picture to be deleted by displaying 6 pictures at once. Touch [ DELETE] the picture you want to delete [YES]. Pictures cannot be deleted when a Memory Stick Duo with the write-protect tab is set to the write-protect position (p. 98), or when the selected picture is protected (p. 60). 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 2 Touch [PROTECT]. 3 Touch the image that you want to protect. PROTECT / OK 4 Touch [END]. appears To cancel image protection, touch the image again to cancel image protection in step 3. 60

61 Selecting still images for printing (Print mark) The DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) standard is used to select images for printing on your camcorder. By marking images that you want to print out, you do not need to reselect them when you print them out. (You cannot specify the number of printouts.) 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. Printing recorded images (PictBridge compliant printer) You can print out pictures using a PictBridge compliant printer without connecting the camcorder to a computer. Connect the supplied AC Adaptor to a wall socket for power. Insert the Memory Stick Duo on which still images are stored into your camcorder beforehand. Connect your camcorder to the printer 2 Touch [PRINT MARK]. 1 Slide the POWER switch down to turn on the PLAY/EDIT lamp. 3 Touch the image that you want to print out later. PRINT MARK / OK appears 2 Touch [MENU] (STANDARD SET) [USB-PLY/ EDT] [PictBridge]. 3 Connect the USB jack (p. 63) of your Handycam Station to a printer using the USB cable. Dubbing/Editing 4 Touch [END]. To cancel Print mark, touch the image again to cancel Print mark in step 3. Do not mark images on your camcorder if the Memory Stick Duo already has some images with the Print mark put on using other devices. This may change the information of the images with the Print mark put on using the other device. 4 Set the (USB) ON/OFF switch on the Handycam Station to ON (p. 63). 5 Touch (PICT. APPLI.) [PRINT]. When connection is complete, (PictBridge connecting) appears on the screen. PRINT / END - + SET EXEC Continued 61

62 Printing recorded images (PictBridge compliant printer) (continued) One of the images stored on the Memory Stick Duo will be displayed. We cannot guarantee the operation of models that are not PictBridge compatible. Printing 1 Select the image to be printed with /. 2 Touch [COPIES]. Removing the Memory Stick Duo from your camcorder. If the printer stops working, disconnect the USB cable and restart the operation from the beginning. Some printer models may not support the date printing function. Refer to your printer s operating instructions for details. We cannot guarantee the printing of images recorded with a device other than your camcorder. PictBridge is an industry standard established by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA). You can print still images without using a computer by connecting a printer directly to a digital video camera or digital still camera, regardless of model or manufacturer. 3 Select the number of copies to be printed with /. You can set a maximum of 20 copies of one image to be printed. 4 Touch [END]. To print the date on the image, touch [DATE/TIME] [DATE] or [DAY & TIME]. 5 Touch [EXEC] [YES]. When printing is finished, [Printing...] disappears and the image selection screen appears again. Touch [END] when printing is completed. 62 Refer also to the operating instructions for the printer to be used. Do not attempt the following operations when is on the screen. The operations may not be performed properly. Operating the POWER switch. Disconnecting the USB cable from your Handycam Station or the printer.

63 Jacks to connect external devices Camcorder Handycam Station When you are recording on a Memory Stick Duo with an external flash (optional) connected to the accessory shoe, turn off the power of the external flash to prevent charging noise being recorded. When an external microphone (optional) is connected, it takes precedence over the internal microphone (p. 24). For DCR-PC55E: A/V (audio/video) jack (p. 32, 54, 74) For DCR-PC53E: A/V (audio/video) OUT jack (p. 32, 54, 74) DC IN jack (p. 8) Interface connector (p. 8) For DCR-PC55E: DV Interface jack (p. 54, 71) For DCR-PC53E: DV OUT Interface jack (p. 54, 71) (USB) jack (p. 64) (USB) ON/OFF switch Set this to ON to use the USB connection. Dubbing/Editing Active Interface Shoe (p. 58) The Active Interface Shoe supplies power to optional accessories such as a video light, a flash, or a microphone. The accessory can be turned on or off as you operate the POWER switch on your camcorder. Refer to the operating instructions supplied with your accessory for details. When you connect an accessory, open the shoe cover. Slide the cover towards you to open it. Remove your camcorder from the Handycam Station when opening the shoe cover. The Active Interface Shoe has a safety device for fixing the installed accessory securely. To connect an accessory, press down and push it to the end, and then tighten the screw. To remove an accessory, loosen the screw, and then press down and pull out the accessory. 63

64 Before referring to the First Step Guide on your computer When you install the Picture Package software on a Windows computer from the supplied CD-ROM, you can enjoy the following operations by connecting your camcorder to your computer. Software and features available for Macintosh computers differ from those available for Windows computers. For details, refer to chapter 6 of First Step Guide on CD-ROM. For First Step Guide, see the next section. There are 2 ways to connect your camcorder to a computer. USB cable This method is good for copying video and sound recorded on a tape to the computer, copying files from a Memory Stick Duo to a computer, and copying files to a Memory Stick Duo. i.link cable This method is good for copying video and sound recorded on a tape. Image data is transferred in more clarity than with a USB cable. For details on connection, see First Step Guide. still images from pictures saved on your computer and easily create a short original video or slide show with added music and visual styles. Automatic Music Video Producer You can easily create a short original video with added music and visual styles using pictures recorded on a tape. Copying tape to Video CD You can import the contents of a tape to create a video CD. Save the images on CD-R You can save pictures copied onto a computer to a CD-R as a backup. Burning Video CD You can compose a video CD with a menu of videos and slide shows. ImageMixer VCD2 is compatible with high resolution still pictures. USB Streaming Tool You can view the picture your camcorder is playing back on tape or is currently seeing on a computer. Video Capturing Tool You can import the entire contents of a tape to a computer. Viewing video and pictures on a computer You can view the pictures copied from your camcorder by selecting from thumbnails. Still images and movies are saved in folders by date. The CD-ROM (supplied) includes the following software. USB Driver Picture Package Ver.1.5 ImageMixer VCD2 First Step Guide 64 Music Video/Slideshow Producer You can select your favorite movies and

65 About First Step Guide First Step Guide is an instruction manual you can refer to on your computer. This First Step Guide describes basic operations, from initial hookup of your camcorder and computer and making settings, to general operation the first time you use the software stored on the CD- ROM (supplied). After installing the CD- ROM, reading Installing the software and First Step Guide on a computer (p. 66), start the First Step Guide, then follow the instructions. About the help function of the software The Help guide explains all the functions of all the software applications. Refer to the Help guide for further detailed operations after reading the First Step Guide thoroughly. To display the Help guide, click the [?] mark on the screen. System requirements For Windows users When using Picture Package OS: Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional Standard installation is required. Operation is not assured if the above OS has been upgraded. In Windows 98, USB Streaming is not supported. In Windows 98 and Windows 98SE, DV capturing is not supported. CPU: Intel Pentium III 500 MHz or faster (800 MHz or faster recommended) (For using ImageMixer VCD2, Intel Pentium III 800 MHz or faster recommended) Application: DirectX 9.0c or later (This product is based on DirectX technology. It is necessary to have DirectX installed.) Windows Media Player 7.0 or later Macromedia Flash Player 6.0 or later Sound system: 16 bit stereo sound card and stereo speakers Memory: 64 MB or more Hard disk: Available memory required for installation: 500 MB or more Available free hard disk space recommended: 6 GB or more (depending on the size of the image files edited) Display: 4 MB VRAM video card, Minimum dots, High color (16 bit color, colors), DirectDraw display driver capability (This product will not operate correctly at less than dots, or less than 256 colors.) Others: USB port (This must be provided as standard), DV Interface (IEEE1394, i.link) (to connect via an i.link cable), disc drive (You need a CD-R drive to create a video CD. For the compatible drive, visit the following URL: When playing pictures recorded on a Memory Stick Duo on a computer OS: Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional Standard installation is required. Operation is not assured if the above OS has been upgraded. CPU: MMX Pentium 200MHz or faster Application: Windows Media Player (This must be installed to play back movies.) Continued Using a Computer 65

66 Before referring to the First Step Guide on your computer (continued) Others: USB port (This must be provided as standard), disc drive For Macintosh users When using ImageMixer VCD2 OS: Mac OS X (v or later) CPU: imac, emac, ibook, PowerBook, PowerMac G3/G4/G5 series Memory: 128 MB or more Hard disk: Available memory required for installation: 250 MB or more Available free hard disk space recommended: 4 GB or more (depending on the size of the image files edited) Display: Minimum dots, colors (This product will not operate correctly at less than dots or 256 colors.) Application: QuickTime 4 or later (QuickTime 5 recommended) Other: Disc drive When only copying pictures recorded on a Memory Stick Duo on a computer OS: Mac OS 9.1/9.2 or Mac OS X (v 10.0/v 10.1/v 10.2/v 10.3) Application: QuickTime 3.0 or later (This must be installed to play back movies.) Others: USB port (This must be provided as standard) When you connect your camcorder to a Macintosh computer using a USB cable, you cannot copy pictures recorded on a tape to the computer. To copy recordings from a tape, connect your camcorder to the computer with an i.link cable and use the standard software in the OS. Installing the software and First Step Guide on a computer You need to install the software etc., with the supplied CD-ROM on your computer before connecting your camcorder and your computer. Once you install it, the installation is not required thereafter. The software to be used varies depending on the OS system you are using. Windows computer: Picture Package (including ImageMixer VCD2) Macintosh computer: ImageMixer VCD2 For the details on the software, refer to First Step Guide. Installing on a Windows computer Log on as Administrators for installation for Windows 2000/Windows XP. 1 Confirm that your camcorder is not connected to the computer. 2 Turn on the computer. Close all applications running on the computer before installing the software. 3 Place the CD-ROM in the disc drive of your computer. The installation screen appears. If the screen does not appear Double-click [My Computer]. 66

67 Double-click [PICTUREPACKAGE] (Disc drive).* * Drive names (such as (E:)) may vary depending on the computer. 4 Click [Install]. 7 Read [License Agreement], check [I accept the terms of the license agreement] when you agree, then click [Next]. Depending on the OS on the computer, a message appears notifying you that First Step Guide cannot be installed automatically with the InstallShield Wizard. In such a case, manually copy First Step Guide to your computer according to the message instructions. 8 Select where to save the software, then click [Next]. 5 Select the language for the application to be installed, then click [Next]. 9 Click [Install] on the [Ready to Install the Program] screen. The installation of Picture Package starts. Using a Computer 6 Click [Next]. Continued 67

68 Installing the software and First Step Guide on a computer (continued) 10 Select the language for First Step Guide to be installed, then click [Next]. Depending on the computer, this screen may not be displayed. In such a case, skip to step If the [Installing Microsoft (R) DirectX(R)] screen is displayed, follow the steps below to install DirectX 9.0c. If not, skip to step 14. Read [License Agreement], then click [Next]. 11 Click [Next] to install the First Step Guide. Click [Next]. Click [Finish]. 12 Click [Next], then follow the on-screen instructions to install ImageMixer VCD2. 14 Make sure [Yes, I want to restart my computer now.] is checked, then click [Finish]. 68

69 The computer turns off once, then starts up again automatically (Restart). The short-cut icons for [Picture Package Menu] and [Picture Package Menu destination Folder] (and First Step Guide, if installed by steps 11-12) appear on the desktop. 5 Copy [FirstStepGuide.pdf], stored in the desired language in the [FirstStepGuide] folder, to your computer. 6 Copy [IMXINST.SIT] in the [MAC] folder of the CD-ROM to a folder of your choice. 7 Double-click [IMXINST.SIT] in the folder it was copied to. 15 Remove the CD-ROM from the disc drive of your computer. 8 Double-click the unzipped [ImageMixerVCD2_Install]. If you have any questions about Picture Package, contact information is listed on page 70. Installing on a Macintosh computer 1 Confirm that your camcorder is not connected to the computer. 9 When the user acceptance screen is displayed, enter your name and password. The installation of ImageMixer VCD2 starts. For details on how to use ImageMixer VCD2, refer to software s on-line help. Using a Computer 2 Turn on the computer. Close all applications running on the computer before installing the software. 3 Place the CD-ROM in the disc drive of your computer. 4 Double-click CD-ROM icon. 69

70 Viewing First Step Guide Displaying First Step Guide Starting up on a Windows computer Viewing with Microsoft Internet Explorer Ver.6.0 or later is recommended. Double-click the icon on the desktop. You can also start by selecting [Start], [Programs] ([All Programs] for Windows XP), [Picture Package], and [First Step Guide], then start up [First Step Guide]. To view First Step Guide in HTML without using automatic installation, copy the desired language folder from the [FirstStepGuide] folder on the CD-ROM, and then double-click index.html. Refer to FirstStepGuide.pdf in the following cases: When printing First Step Guide When First Step Guide is not displayed correctly due to the browser setting even in recommended environment. When the HTML version of First Step Guide is not installed automatically. Starting up on a Macintosh computer Double-click FirstStepGuide.pdf. For inquires about this software Pixela User Support Center Pixela Home Page Windows: Macintosh: North America (Los Angeles) Telephone: Europe (U.K.) Telephone: Asia (Philippines) Telephone: On Copyrights Music works, sound recording or other third party musical contents you may acquire from CDs, the Internet or other sources (the Music Contents ) are the copyrighted work of the respective owners thereof and are protected by copyright laws and other applicable laws of each country/ region. Except to the extent expressly permitted by applicable laws, you are not permitted to use (including, without limitation, copying, modifying, reproducing, uploading, transmitting or placing to the external network accessible to the public, transferring, distributing, lending, licensing, selling and publishing) any of the Music Contents without obtaining authorization or approval of the respective owners thereof. License of Picture Package by Sony Corporation would not be construed as conferring to you by implication, estoppel or otherwise, any license or right to use the Music Contents. To view the PDF, Adobe Reader is needed. If it is not installed on your computer, you can download it from the Adobe Systems web page: 70